Kelowna Health Wellness and Chiropractic Care

In western society people don't go to the doctor unless they are sick. This is becoming a thing of the past.

People are quickly realizing our so-called "healthcare system" is better termed a "sick care system" and that health is based on how your body is functioning and not how you feel, or the lack of symptoms.

The majority of our practice members realize this key concept, that health is a combination of how you think, how you move, and what you put into your body. This is wellness care.

How well your body functions, is based primarily upon the function of the master control system - the nervous system. Practice members in our office understand and opt into this true model of healthcare. They realize that detection of little problems earlier is easier than fixing a major problem in the future.

Everyone wants to feel good; however, your health should not be based on how you feel. Subluxation may exist in your spine without any symptom or even pain. Similar to heart disease, high blood pressure, and dental cavities, subluxation creates problems without you even knowing.

If you are interested in how your Kelowna wellness chiropractic wellness care can help you create the healthy life that you desire for you and your family, call or email us today, to find out how we can help you.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Whiplash and Chiropractic Care Kelowna

Car accidents, at any speed, can create problems in your spine and nervous system. Being in a rear-end accident creates an immediate forward motion in your body towards your seatbelt. At the exact same second your head and your neck are snapped backwards. Any fender bender can create a whiplash injury, with or without any symptoms forming.

Whiplash injuries can include spinal misalignments (subluxation), which put pressure on the nervous system. In severe cases these misalignments can be coupled with injuries to the ligaments, and even the vertebrae of the spine.

Chiropractic care can help restore normal function to the spine and the nervous system. Millions of car accident victims have found relief from chiropractic adjustments, and a swift return to their normal daily lives.

If you are looking for a natural approach to your whiplash injury, chiropractic healthcare can help. Call us or email us to book your initial consultation.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Stress and Chiropractic Care Kelowna

Believe it or not, stress can be beneficial to your health.

A 20 minute jog in the morning before work can put enough stress on your system to boost your metabolism for the day. Stress is also needed for you to wake up from your good nights sleep. However, if you are constantly under stress, your body and your health will suffer.

There are three types of stress that you encounter in your life:

1.Physical Stress - These are the types of stress that can come in the form of injuries in sports, car accidents, or even injuries from poor posture and sleep habits. Physical stress can create the stress response in your body and lead to long term health issues.
2.Mental/Emotional Stress - Probably the most commonly talked about stress. Examples are relationship problems with kids, spouses, or parents. Problems at work with your boss or co-workers. Problems with finances. Problems with worrying about something that you cannot control.
3.Chemical Stress - The least talked about stress is chemical stress. Examples include anything that is put into the body either voluntarily or involuntarily, that work as a toxin on your system. Environmental toxins such as pesticides and fungicides, food preservatives and flavor enhancer's (aspartame and MSG), and of course any and all prescription medications!
All three types of stress, when in combination or alone, create an immense amount of strain on your body and your nervous system. Stress has been coined "the silent killer" and for good reason. Chronic levels of stress without intervention are linked to higher incidences of:

•heart disease and stroke
•diabetes
•cancer
•obesity
•infertility
and many other diseases of lifestyle.

If you are stressed, and are looking for a natural and healthy way to manage it, chiropractic care can help you. We can give you strategies to manage different types of stress, as well as making sure that your spine and nervous system are functioning properly.

For Kelowna stress reduction call or email your Kelowna chiropractor.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Scoliosis and Chiropractic Care Kelowna

Often noticed by clothing fitting abnormally, a low shoulder on one side, or a low hip, scoliosis may be affecting your son or daughter.

Scoliosis is defined as an abnormal curvature from side to side in the spine. It mainly affects adolescent girls from ages 8-18, and if left undetected can lead to abnormalities in heart, lung and reproductive organ function.

There are three main causes of scoliosis:

1.Congenital - A theory that there is a genetic predisposition
2.Habitual - Possibly caused by behavioral routines
3.Idiopathic - There is no known cause
Whatever the cause of scoliosis, early detection is essential in minimizing the effects that it creates. If left undetected, scoliosis usually progresses and can worsen.

The traditional approach to scoliosis is to wait! If severe enough the solution is to surgically place steel rods on either side of the spine coupled with a back brace to stop the progression.

The natural approach to scoliosis can include postural retraining along with regular and specific chiropractic care. Over the course of several months or longer the muscles and ligaments retrain, and the spine can often right itself to its proper position.

There have many young people helped in our Kelowna chiropractic office that have scoliosis. If you are concerned that your son or daughter may be suffering from scoliosis, or you would like to prevent any further damage, call or email us for more information.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Back & Neck Pain? What Your Body is Telling You!

We want you to sit back and think for a minute. How many of you own smoke alarms in your homes? Everyone! It is the law. What happens when that smoke alarm goes off at 1:24am? You get up, give the house a once over to make sure that there are no threats of fire, and that your precious investments are safe, your family and your home.

So what does a smoke alarm have to do with Back and Neck Pain?

At least 80% of the population will at some point in their lives experience back pain and/or neck pain; it will be severe enough for you to miss work, seek some type of pain management therapy or take a pain killer. In the hustle and bustle of today’s lifestyle, we have no time for pain! We have to pay the bills, get the kids to hockey, make dinner, and be a husband or wife, a friend, and a parent. North American culture values “30 minute meals”, “8 minute abs”, “5 minute buns” and of course the “quick fix” to back and neck pain.

We meet people every single day telling us about their tight shoulders and their sore back. As Chiropractors, we are trained to dig further. “Any tingling, burning, or headaches?” As we probe we find that that same person deals with headaches several days of the month! They often think these are “normal” headaches. No headache is normal – it’s an indicator of your body out of homeostasis, or normal balance.

“Well Doc, I do get headaches every day, but if I feel one coming on I just take three Extra Strength Gel Tabs, and 50% of the time it kills the headache.”

What is wrong with that statement? It’s exactly as if your smoke alarm went off at 1:24am and instead of checking the house to see what the problem was, you just went down the hall to the alarm and took the batteries out. The horrible loud noise stops, but it does nothing to address the fire that’s raging in your kitchen.

This is exactly what you are doing when you take a pain killer! Headaches, back pain, neck pain, or any symptom that your body creates, is a warning sign! It is your internal smoke alarm. Do not pull the battery, do not ignore the noise and hope it goes away. Taking three “Extra Strength Gel Tabs” every day only masks the pain of your headaches, without addressing the actual cause. Just like the fire in your kitchen!

We know that sensation of pain is controlled by your brain and nervous system. Pain sensation only represents approximately 10% of your health story, the other 90% of your nervous system controls the function of your organs, glands, blood vessels and the motion of your muscles; you cannot feel these parts, but I think you will agree that they are all pretty important! Pain in other areas can indicate decreased function to these vital parts of your body!

Your neck contains the brainstem and spinal cord, any neck pains or headaches suggest dysfunction to the organs and systems controlling blood pressure, breathing, and immune function. Often people with neck pain also suffer from high blood pressure, chronic fatigue/irritability, chronic colds/flus, sinus congestion, colic and ear infections – especially our children!

Any pain or burning in the shoulders, between the shoulder blades, or in the mid back suggest dysfunction in the nerves that supply the heart, lungs, and digestive system. People with pain in this area can also suffer from heart palpitations (irregular heart beat), chest pain that mimics heart attack, anxiety and breathing problems (asthma).

Low back pain can relate to problems with the intestines, bladder and reproductive systems. Female low back pain sufferers often complain of menstrual irregularities, and even infertility issues. Low back pain sufferers also report higher incidences of unexplained hip and knee pain.

Determining the cause of your pains and aches, and properly correcting the problem is crucial in attaining overall health and well-being. So when your smoke alarm rings, take it seriously, because it is telling you something – there is a problem!!! Just like you get up to check the house, and make sure your precious investments are safe, so should you when it comes to your health. You only have one body and you need to take care of it so that you can provide for your family, send your kids to school, get them to hockey, be a parent, friend, and spouse.

Remember, if you don’t have time to be sick, then you need to make time to get and stay healthy!

Yours in health,

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC and Dr. Sarah Tremblay DC

As posted February 10th 2010 in the Westside Weekly

Questions or comments?

Contact Dr. Travis or Dr. Sarah at Health In Hand Family Chiropractic:
info@healthinhand.ca   or   http://www.healthinhand.ca/

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Sciatica and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

Often caused by pressure on the nerves in your low back, sciatica can create excruciating pain that runs down one or both of your legs.

Sciatica can often include involvement of the discs (disc bulge or herniated discs) that put pressure on the nerves, starting with lower back pain and resulting in dull to sharp pains that run down the legs.

Traditional therapies for sciatica are drug therapy which only masks the pain and symptoms, physical therapies which merely help your body become more tolerant to the pain, and complicated surgery which creates irreversible changes to the bone and disc material in your back.

Fortunately there is hope. Millions have found relief from chiropractic care, by increasing the motion in the joints of the low back.

If you or a loved one is suffering from sciatica, a thorough consultation and examination with your West Kelowna chiropractors, can determine if chiropractic care is right for you. Call or email us for more information or to book an appointment.



Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Pregnancy and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

Although it may be hard to make the connection between pregnancy and chiropractic care, moms-to-be can benefit immensely from regular chiropractic adjustments.

There are four stages that chiropractic care can help both mother and child:

1.Pre-Conception - Regular chiropractic adjustments create a clear connection between your brain and your reproductive and hormonal systems. A properly functioning nervous system promotes regular menstrual cycles, proper hormone and uterine balance, creating a fertile environment for conception.
2.Pregnancy - Regular chiropractic adjustments help maintain proper spinal alignment, proper nervous system function, ligament flexibility and balance. As your baby grows it promotes your body to take the proper position and function for an easy birth process.
3.Labor and Birth - Mothers that are under regular chiropractic care boast about more natural births, less time in labor and less complications during the birth itself.
4.After Birth - Chiropractic care is for your baby as well. Even the fastest and most natural of childbirths create pressure on your baby's nervous system. If a subluxation is present in your baby's spine, he or she may be more prone to constipation, colic, inability to suckle, and behavior abnormalities.
Although chiropractic care does guarantee results, countless moms, dads and babies benefit everyday from our natural approach to family wellness.

For more information, or if you are considering a natural approach to pregnancy and motherhood, call us or email us today.


Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

PMS and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

Estimated to affect approximately 90% of women at some point in their lifetime, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) can range from mild cramping and menstrual irregularities to extremely debilitating abdominal pain and cessation of menstrual cycles.

Unfortunately, we hear the danger phrase in our office, "It’s okay. I just have to curl up into the fetal position for two days!" Most women have "learned to deal with it."

Your nervous system regulates and controls every cell of your entire body, including the cells of your reproductive and hormonal systems. The nerves that exit your low back (lumbar spine) directly supply your reproductive and hormone producing organs. Any misalignment (subluxation) in the lumbar spine puts pressure on the nerves that supply those organs, and can be related to:

•Over Activity - heavy bleeding, and cramping
•Under Activity - missed periods and infertility
•Distortions in Activity - irregular bleeding, pain and reduced fertility
Although chiropractic does not treat any reproductive condition, including PMS and infertility, many women experience amazing results when pressure removed from the nervous system.

If you are sick and tired of suffering, and want those 2 days each month back, phone your West Kelowna chiropractors to determine if your problem could be coming from your spine and nervous system.


Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Pinched Nerve and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

I think that I have a "Pinched Nerve"

It is called a pinched nerve, because that is exactly what it feels like. However, it is a little more complicated.

When a spinal bone is misaligned, the nerves that exit the spine through small openings can become encroached. This scenario is what we call a subluxation. The subluxation puts pressure on the nerve, which in turn causes interference to the message that your brain is trying to deliver via the nerve.

The chiropractic adjustment is a specific and highly advanced maneuver that removes the subluxation. The adjustment in turn removes pressure from the nerve, allowing the body to heal itself.

To find out if your Kelowna chiropractor can help you with a "pinched nerve" call or email us for your initial consultation.


Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Neck Pain and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

Neck pain is one of the most common complaints that practice members initially seek chiropractic care for.

The neck is the most nerve sensitive area of your entire spine. If there is a misalignment (subluxation) in the neck, there is pressure on the many different nerves.

Imagine holding a 12 pound bowling ball on the tips of your fingers, hard job! That is what your neck does all day long. This is one of the reasons that it is so prone to misaligning.

Typically most practice members can experience anything that results in an inability to turn the neck from side to side, combined with sharp pains, to a dull ache throughout the entire neck and shoulders.

Any type of neck pain is a warning signal that there is something wrong in the body. Leaving a misalignment (subluxation) can create longer standing issues (arthritis and permanent nerve damage resulting in further health complaints) if not addressed quickly.

At our office, we focus on removing nervous system pressure from your neck, primarily. The reason for this is because of the rich nerve supply in the neck. Also, because your neck is where your spinal cord and your brainstem originate, misalignments in your neck put an immense amount of pressure on your brainstem and spinal cord, which in turn can create dis-ease in your entire body.

If you are suffering from neck pain and you would like it to stop, or even better, if you want to be proactive in terms of your health and would like to get checked, call and book your no obligation consultation with your Kelowna chiropractors.

"An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!"



Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Heartburn and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

Also known as gastro-esophageal reflux, heartburn is caused by weakness of the muscles between your stomach and your esophagus. The weakness allows the acidic contents of the stomach to be regurgitated back into the esophagus.

If left untreated over time, the acid reflux can create ulcers, and even lead to forms of cancer in the esophagus.

Although chiropractic is not a cure for heartburn, many of our practice members have found relief from their chronic heartburn.

Subluxations in the mid back can create pressure on the nerves that supply the sphincter muscles of the esophagus/stomach junction. The chiropractic adjustment removes the nerve pressure, and the body restores the function of the sphincter muscles.

If you are suffering needlessly from heartburn or acid reflux, call us today to determine if chiropractic care can help you.
Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Headaches and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

We often hear the danger phrases in our office, "It is no problem Doc, I have learned to live with it, and it only happens 2 times per week!"

Headaches are a very predominant problem, and one of the most common conditions that bring practice members into a chiropractor's office.

While extremely common, not everybody gets headaches! Therefore, they are not normal, and nobody should have to "learn to live with it." Popular cultural solutions to headaches today, suggest taking something for your headaches. An over-the-counter pain killer, prescription pain killers, and in some drastic cases, people resort to the use of illegal narcotics! A symptom (headache) is your body's way of telling you that there is something wrong inside. Taking a pain killer to mask the symptom is like pulling the battery on the smoke alarm in the hallway, even though there is a fire blazing in the kitchen.

One of the most common causes of headaches is misaligned spinal bones (subluxation) that put pressure on nerves in the neck and head. This pressure may cause the muscles to tighten (tension type headaches) or may even cause a constriction of blood vessels to the brain and head (a proposed theory for migraine headaches). While chiropractic does not treat headaches, practice members experience immense relief from some symptoms of headaches, when the pressure is removed from the nerves by the chiropractic adjustment.

For a thorough examination to determine if your headaches can be helped by chiropractic care, phone or email us.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Ear Infections and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

Ear infections (otitis media) result in a great number of pediatrician visits by parents and children. Most parents feel helpless when it comes to helping their children with this condition. Traditional approaches to ear infections are administering antibiotic therapy, which in the case of an acute bacterial infection, can work. However, most of the time antibiotics do not work as the infection is viral in origin. In chronic cases, your child may be recommended to have tubes placed in their ear canals and/or unnecessary surgical methods to alleviate these symptoms.

Chiropractic care does not treat ear infections. However, having the upper region of your child's neck checked can determine if there may be pressure on the nerves that supply the inner muscles and tissues of the ear. As well, any pressure in the upper neck may lead to a poor functioning immune system, thereby making the muscles and tissues of the inner ear more prone to infections from viruses and bacteria.

If your child is having ear aches or ear infections at a regular occurrence, they may have misalignments or pressure in the upper region of their neck. To get your child checked by your West Kelowna chiropractors, call us or email us.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Colic and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

Imagine having an upset stomach, a headache and your tummy hurts, and you cannot tell anyone.

Colic, which was previously thought of as indigestion, can affect your newborn baby. If your baby is irritable, cannot sleep and has persistent inconsolable crying for 3 hours each day, three days each week for three straight weeks, they likely are colicky.

Less modern treatments included gripe water, small amounts of alcohol, and plainly just dealing with it, now in modern times seem archaic.

Many parents explain that after having their colicky infant adjusted that the results are almost immediate. This can be explained by looking back at the birth process itself. Even natural childbirth can be extremely traumatic to the nervous system of newborns, and is usually where the baby's first subluxation happens. If left undetected, there is immense pressure on your baby's nervous system, which can lead to changes in behavior, sleep patterns, or what we call, colic.

There have been many research studies determining the effectiveness of chiropractic and colic. Although not a treatment for colic, a study from Denmark found that 94% of babies that were adjusted with colic type symptoms found immediate relief within 2 weeks of commencing care (Klougart et al., 1989).

If you are interested in determining if chiropractic care can help your child, call us or email us for a no obligation consultation.


Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Carpal Tunnel and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

Caused by pressure on the nerves that supply the hand and fingers, many people find relief from carpal tunnel with chiropractic care. Just like the joints in the spine are prone to misaligning, so are the joints in the wrist.

Many are surprised to learn, that after a thorough chiropractic examination, their carpal tunnel symptoms (tingling in the arm, wrist and hand, weak grip strength and a feeling of tightness in the wrist) actually come from pressure on the nerves that are exiting from your neck! Continued pressure on these nerves over time, can lead to permanent damage to the very sensitive nervous system.

Many people have great results with carpal tunnel after chiropractic care. If you would like to find out how chiropractic can help you with any complaint, contact our office by phone or email

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Bed Wetting and Chiropractic Care in Kelowna

For your children bed wetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, can be a very embarrassing and traumatizing condition. An inability to fit in, peer ridicule, plastic mattress covers, and being wet at night all take a massive toll on the confidence of your child.

Caused by weak muscles that control emptying of the bladder, bed wetting is not your child's fault. The nerves that control these muscles of the bladder come from the lower portion of your child's spine. Any pressure on these nerves from misalignments in the spine or sacrum may result in improper function of these muscles, or the end result, bed wetting. If your child has had any falls, accidents or even any difficulty during the birthing process, he or she may have these misalignments in their spine.

Chiropractic care is not a cure for bed wetting; however, many children around the world find better bladder control, less trips to the bathroom at night, and more confidence after receiving chiropractic care.

If your child is suffering emotionally and physically from bed wetting, and you have any questions, or you would like to make an appointment to get your children's spine and nervous system checked, phone or email us.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!